The top and bottom shutters are of the 'up and over' type. Both are driven via motors and gearboxes combined with a drum which carries the steel driving cables. The motors and cable drums ride with the shutters. Limit switches are operated by both shutters to enable and disable the main drive or micro drives of each shutter.
In computer mode, TCS control for dome direction and speed is via CAMAC 2407 output driver module in Branch crate (Address: B4 C3 N8 A0/A1). Bits 1 and 2 of channel A0 are sent to TEM-L when in turn operates the relays and contactors to the dome motors to start movement in a CW or CCW direction respectively. Bits 1 to 8 (2 BCD decades) of channel A1 set the dome speed. These are applied to a DAC circuit mounted in another dome wall box which connect up to the TASC unit which governs the speed. Normally these bits are all set high and the dome moves at it maximum velocity.
Dome position is measured using a 10 bit T + R absolute encoder. The encoder and a line driver box are located just below the balcony floor at the east end of the walkway. A steel cover plate needs to be removed to gain access. The signals from the line driver box pass to a CAMAC PR2403 input register (Address: B4 C3 N10 A0)
Refer to the INT
CAMAC manual for more details and TEM-L manuals for more details.
Two drive systems are incorporated on the TOP and BOTTOM shutters.
Closing the shutter follows a reverse procedure, but using the lower MICRO and MAIN push buttons. The same applies to the BOTTOM shutter. It must be raised or lowered in MICRO drive before the MAIN drive can be operated.
The bottom shutter is unique in that it also serves as a windshield. It consists of two sections. Once the first section raises past the dome aperture, the lower section is picked up and and they continue to move as a pair. In normal observing, the bottom shutter is seldom used. The only time being that if the telescope is observing close to the horizon, the top of the bottom shutter (when closed) could vignette the beam. In this case, the bottom shutter would be raised to allow the telescope to observe through an aperture.
n.b. Although it was originally planned to encode the dome shutters,
this was never implemented. The Baldwin absolute encoders were removed
from the shutter drives many years ago as were the TEM-L boards (in Dome
Box 3).
There were originally three Dome TEM-L wall boxes, but only boxes 1 and 2 are used now. n.b. Dome Box 3 contained TEM-L boards for shutter encoding, but this was never implemented. The dome wall boxes contain a strip heater operated by a thermostat. This prevents condensation forming during cold periods.
The control room (engineering) TEM-L crate is located at the bottom of the engineering rack. The CLIP centre (computer) TEM-L rack is located at the bottom of bay 6
Each TEM-L crate comprises of (* only fitted if needed) :
Transmitter board (16 channels)
Transmitter extender (to expand system to
32 channels) *
Receiver board (16 channels) (programmed with
a unique address)
Receiver extender (to expand system to 32
channels) *
Multiplexer board
Balanced line driver board
PSU
n.b. It should also be noted that some of the receiver/transmitter/extender boards I/O's are either TTL or OPTO isolated depending on the equipment to which they are attached.
To improve noise immunity; especially through the slip rings, the communication line uses a balanced pair working at approx +/- 50V relative to ground. These lines are fused on the line driver board within the TEM-L rack.
Since the various TEM-L transmitters share a common communication line, the equipment works in half duplex mode. To enable several transmitters to share the same line, a time share (multiplexer) module listens to the line and allows its transmitter module to send information only when the line is quiet. Once the transmitter has transferred all its data to the communication line, it is switched off for a period long enough to allow all the other transmitters to send their data. To ensure that the TEM-L receiver modules decode information from the appropriate transmitter, each transmitter/receiver module is set up with its own unique address which is sent as a 4 bit data block preceding the main (16/32 bits) of data.
A 16 contact input transmitter module accepts input data for transmission at the Dome wall Box 1. The data is available as 16 TTL outputs which are fed to indicator switches on the engineering control rack. Two 16 contact input transmitter modules accepts input data from the engineering rack. This data is available as 16 opto-coupled open collector outputs at the Dome wall box 2.
A full technical description of TEM-L is beyond the scope of the document,
but detailed information is available in the documentation filing cabinets
in the electronics workshop and in INT Technical manuals: 56
and 57
A poled rotor which is fixed to an output shaft is surrounded by a tube. This is driven by a constant speed AC motor. A stationary brushless coil held on the stator is fixed to an outer casting. Magnetic flux is set up when the field coil is energised generating eddy currents in the tube and causing the rotor to revolve. A tachogenerator mounted to the output shaft of one of the drives generates a voltage proportional to speed. Cooling air is provided by a constant speed fan, driven by the motor.
Speed control is achieved by comparing a reference voltage (supplied by the speed control potentiometer or via the TEM-L system) along with the feedback signal from the tachogenerator. Differences between these voltages generate more or less current to the excitation coil thereby maintaining the set speed constant. Additional facilities are provided to vary the acceleration and the torque. Refer to the TASC unit technical manuals for further information.